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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · march · bark · cap · pitcher · roll · rock · temple

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. march — the month
  3. roll — a cake
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — a stone
  15. roll — a list
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rock — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — a lid
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com